THE
CABINET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI With Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friendrich Fehér,
Lil Dagover Directed by Robert Wiene A legendary classic from 1919.
This moody, stark, dark horror film (initially slated for Fritz Lang to direct)
tells the tale of a hypnotist trickster who displays a somnambulist (asleep for
23 years) at a carnival. But, this figure rises at night to perform the doctor's
will, involving murder. One of the film's most memorable aspects is the Expressionistic
painted warped perspective sets of Hermann Warm, Walter Röhrig and Walter Reimann.
An amazing movie with a cool punch line to boot. 6 / A - PB CABIN
FEVER With Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James Debello, Cerina Vincent, Joey
Kern, Giuseppe Andrews Written & Directed by Eli Roth What starts out
as your regular students-vacation-in-the-woods-horror takes a gruesome twist.
Here the horror that faces the over-sexed, boozing personalities of varied annoyance
is not a guy with an axe, a beast from the swamp or an evil spirit. It is an invisible
virus slowly and indiscriminately eating away your flesh. The group is exposed
to this terror via a forest dweller who got infected, begging them for help. They
freak out and it leads to lethal consequences (their car also wrecked in the process).
But it gets more deadly when the infection spreads and they can't drive to get
help. The locals (including an idiot cop) are little help and slowly their paranoia
and fear has them turning on each other. It's a different kind of horror that
is a combination of apocalyptic terror, dark humour and cheap scares, highly enjoyable
as result. If this is not your kind of thing, perhaps the fact that David Lynch
was involved in an undercover executive producer capacity may tickle your interest
a little more. Lynch regular soundtrack genius Angelo Badalamenti also wrote a
few of the score themes. 4 / B - PB

CANNIBAL
HOLOCAUST With Francesca Ciardi, Luca Barbareschi, Robert Kerman Directed
by Ruggero Deodato To shock is one thing, to commit deliberate acts of animal
cruelty & slaughter, and promote (by not condemning) abuse, rape and murder of
women is another. I've always heard about this 1970's movie and its extremities
(always coming from a horror / gore perspective) - when in fact it is a poorly
made sensationalist exercise in sadism and brutality that neither thrills, nor
excites. Nothing makes me queasy, not even the gratuitous on screen decapitation
of turtles, monkeys and muskrats. The moral sense behind it is what appalls me.
Sure, we ignore the abattoirs and butchers where our meat comes from, but to tell
a story of a bunch of radical documentary filmmakers who venture into the Amazon
and create the horrors they capture on film has very little motivation when it
comes to onscreen animal killings outweighing the cannibalism of the title. Movies
like The Blair Witch Project no doubt borrowed from this so-called "classic's"
format of the missing crew's film discovered and viewed. When it comes to the
fantasy element of horror's gross-out, freak-out or scary moments, we know it
is fake, but movies like these can justify its methods, but it's all just bullshit
covering up the blatant sensationalizing of abuse, perhaps breeding more sadistic
people out there than creating activists capturing concealed camera footage in
a slaughterhouse. This irresponsibility also flows into the extreme misogyny,
which has very little motivation except for cheap thrills (for those who get off
on that sort of shit) and to no doubt profess the depiction of the narrative's
malicious moviemakers' lack of morals - something which is inadvertently an analogy
for the actual makers of this piece of trash. While the film will freak out many
sensitive viewers, the most shocking aspect to me is the fact that many horror
fans list this as one of their top 10 favourites - the horror (translation: "cruelty")
being mere outrageous acts of violence and brutality almost entirely directed
at animals and women. To add this to the Horror category is an insult to horror
films as a whole, and should rather be lumped into a category of its own, like
Irresponsible Filmmaking or Unregulated Sensationalism. I'm sure (or at least
I hope) that fans of the movie only advertise their love for the flick as a macho
angle because of the film's controversy, and not for its depictions of gang rape,
sexually driven murder and animal killings… I love horror films and watched movies
like Maniac and Dawn Of The Dead when it was banned in South Africa before I was
16. I turned out fine - not a killer, wife beater or animal abuser - knowing that
the images were not real and merely a story. I oppose censorship, but do support
regulation to prevent the exposure of extreme material to those not ready for
it - unfortunately some minors can handle such material better than some adults...
What sits badly with a film such as this is the fact that it tries to camouflage
real cruelty as art along the lines of a fake documentary, but ultimately fails
not just for its bad acting, but because it has no conscience (even when lame
attempts are made at it).Flamedrop
feels that even the worst film still deserves a rating of 1
for actually getting it made, but in very few cases exceptions are made...0 / C - PB

CAN’T
HARDLY WAIT With Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green Directed
by Harry Elfont One of the many end of century teen flicks, this one is entirely
set at a post school party with all the clichés fighting for attention. That includes
everything from the guy who wants to get laid and the jock who meets his just
deserts to the nerdy jerk who becomes the life of the party. Then there are the
Star Trek/ X-Files/ Star Wars Geeks who aren’t invited and the beautiful home
coming queen & the guy who’s really in love with her, not just her amazing physique.
Still, it is a watchable bit of fluff tied together with a soundtrack designed
to have high sales. 3 / C- PB

CAPTAIN
CORELLI'S MANDOLIN With Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, John Hurt, Christian
Bale Directed by John Madden Based on the highly acclaimed novel by
Louis De Bernieresand the director of Shakespeare In Love,
the expectations for this film was more than indifferent, to say the least. Yet,
unless you approach this film without preparing yourself for a tender little tale
of a small community and the varied effects of war on its people, in particular
our lead characters. But, I have to be honest up front - the idea of Cage
hamming it up with Italian accent and (one of my more grating actresses) Cruz
in one movie filled me with a slight sense of trepidation. While the book was
greatly popular, especially in the UK, the almost bland film version comes across
as such, mainly because it is such a simple story - yes, no Pearl Harbor
here, folks. It is WWII and Italy, one of Germany's allies assist in annexing
the small Greek island of Cephallonia. We see it through the perspective of Pelagia,
a young woman whose fiance' left to fight. She lives with her doctor father and
one of the officers (who got placed in houses of the village) end up on their
doorstep. He is Captain Corelli, an unconventional soldier whose regiment would
rather sing than fight, while his passion for the mandolin is stronger than any
gun. At first she despises him, but as she gets to know him, they form a strong
friendship leading to romance (big surprise). Threats come in the shape of the
ex-fiance' (who never answered her letters) returning, as well as the war coming
to their doorstep and to add to the wounds, natural disaster. Thus the bitter-sweet
factor runs high. If the film had been made by Italians and screened in art cinemas
with subtitles, it would've had a more authentic feel (without the slight Hollywood
lining, especially due to its stars). Yet, in doing it this way, it acts as a
crossover (intentionally or not) by bringing that kind of film to a general audience
who would never set foot in such a theatre. The extra features aren't too elaborate,
containing a trailer, cast & crew biographies and an insightful couple of production
notes. many may well look at this as a Chick Flick, but thankfully it has
a little more substance than a mere big screen soap opera. 4 / C
- PB

CARLITO'S
WAY - Rise To Power With Jay Hernandez, Mario Van Peebles, Luis Guzman, Sean
Combs Directed by Michael Bregman About a dozen years after director Brian
DePalma gave cinematic life to Edwin Torres' literary gangster character Carlito
Brigante (with Al Pacino and Sean Penn), its original producer Martin Bregman
(who also produced Scarface
with DePalma), return to Carlito's roots with this prequel. The first film is
a fantastic movie and it would take a lot to top it. Born and raised in Spanish
Harlem (trapped between Black Harlem and the Italians' Hell's Kitchen), Carlito
learned how to take care of himself. During a stint in prison he meets up with
an Italian and African American (Earl, played by Mario Van Peebles). They become
friends, colleagues and partners as they band together to create order within
the closely bordered strife torn underground territories they live in. It is the
early '70s and heroin is the new big thing on which they capitalize to the full.
Besides the cops and trigger-happy competition, the smooth operation is put in
jeopardy by Earl's volatile younger brother, and everyone's lives are in danger.
Carlito also falls in love with a young woman, living a lie as he can't tell her
what he really does. Luis Guzman is the only character from the first film returning
for another go. Directed by producer Bregman's sibling Michael, the mood often
feels a little TV-ish, but seeing as they didn't have the kind of budget or star
power of the DePalma / Pacino movie, it is sometimes understandable. The period
is however well replicated, as illustrated in the Bringing The Hood To Life extra
feature. Other extras include Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Set Tour with Earl, Got
Your Back: Carlito's Brothers In Crime, Making Of Docy, and Trailers. 3
/ C - PBTHE
CARPENTERS GoldThe tragic life of Karen Carpenter was a hidden one of eating
disorders, which led to her death. What everyone saw was a pleasant girl who sang
lovely, easy listening pop songs with her brother. This huge collection encapsulates
their entire music career. The DVD contains 15 clips with many studio performances
that may look dated, but the music is still beautiful. You also get to see Karen
playing drums in some clips, which she started out doing, but it didn't suit their
image. The songs include We've Only Just Begun, Those Good Old Dreams, Superstar,
Rainy Days & Mondays, Top Of The World, Ticket To Ride, Only Yesterday, Beechwood
4-5678, Hurting Each Other, Please Mr. Postman, There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over
The World), They Long To Be (Close To You), and Calling Occupants of Interplanetary
Craft. The 40 tracks across two CDs in this set include those on the DVD,
as well as Maybe It's You, Let Me Be The One, Jambalaya, Leave Yesterday Behind,
California Dreamin', The Rainbow Connection, This Masquerade, Solitaire, Merry
Christmas Darling, Karen's Theme, I Believe You, For All We Know, A Song For You
and many more. 5 / B - PB CARNIVAL
OF SOULS With Bobbie Phillips, Shawnee Smith, Larry Miller, Paul Johansson
Directed by Adam Grossman Marketable, but unashamedly advertised as
"Wes Craven Presents" (the man merely one of the executive producers), this uneventful
thriller is a little on the tired side. A woman witnessed the murder of her mother
as a child. The perpetrator (a carnival clown) haunts her memory decades later
and she feels as though her sanity is slipping away from her. Based on the 1962
low budget classic, here the plot is predictable, the scares not frightening and
the atmosphere bland. But if you're a Craven fan and want to see everything he's
involved with, don't let a review stop you. 2 / C - PB

CARRIER
- FORTRESS AT SEA The unbelievable size and magnitude of aircraft carriers
are illustrated here with the Carl Vinson's voyage from San Francisco to the Persian
Gulf. Holding around 5000(!) men, this virtual floating city is a self sufficient
military monster and airstrip for fighter planes, each man's function essential
in making it a smooth operation in this feature length documentary. A number of
the crewmen's functions are explained and includes the fighter pilots and their
planes, one of which happened to crash as it attempted to break the sound barrier
at high sea. An astonishing look at an enormous vessel which will either make
you want to join the navy or stay far away. 4 / C- PB

CASINO
With Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods Directed by
Martin Scorsese Absolutely sparkling film based around a true story of a
mob connected bookie who was given the reins of the Tangiers Casino & Hotel in
Vegas during the ‘70’s and early ‘80’s. His and all those around him rise and
fall as high and low as is humanly possible. Greed, crime, murder and glamour
combine to make this a breath taking, dizzying masterpiece that clocks in at almost
3 hours…and it still feels as if you can have it go on for another 3. Stylish,
very brutal and often funny, Casino is one of the best depictions of this decadent
town. Not to be missed. 6 / A - PB

CAST
AWAY With Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt Directed by Robert Zemeckis This
engrossing drama takes us through the experience of a FedEx man who is the sole
survivor of a plane crash somewhere in the Pacific. He washes up on an island
and his survival challenge begins. Braving the elements, starvation and perils
of all kind, he struggles to stay alive, using everything in his power not just
to saty alive, but also to remain sane. While the island scenes are great the
introduction and final scenes makes one feel a little squirmy. Maybe bit more
schmalzy than need be. A glorious cinematic effort, nonetheless. On seeing the
trailer I held my breath, hoping, wishing that it won't end the way I suspected…lo
and behold… 4 / B- PB

THE
CASTLE With Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe, Eric
Bana Directed by Rob Sitch Absolutely marvelous Australian comedy about
a family living right next to the airport. With expansions afoot, developers want
to but up the land, but they refuse, no matter what offer they make. Eventually
it ends up in court. All throughout, the excellent backward but sincere characters
deliver hilarious scenes of dialogue and physical gags (of which they are completely
oblivious). The father is the proud king of the castle in question, proud of everything,
absolutely incapable of looking down on anything or being critical, especially
with his family. But his naïve and innocently normal character is what makes him
so likeable and endearing. Many a side-splitter will have you watch it more than
once. Features a younger Eric Bana before his Hollywood breakthrough.5
/ A - PB

CATCH
ME IF YOU CAN With Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
Directed by Steven Spielberg Based on the real life story of Frank Abagnale,
Catch
Me If You Can takes
on a gay air as we get treated to the more visually pleasing and entertaining
parts of his life. Frank was a con man who, at an early age (still a teenager)
started forging airline cheques, impersonating pilots as well as going on to faking
his way into hospital as a doctor as well as a lawyer. All this while still practically
being a school kid. His family life and parents' split-up get enough focus to
see a lot of his motivation while his contact-less relationship with the FBI agent
tracking him down becomes a symbiotic one, defining them both. Spielberg came
down to earth for this one (after two Sci-Fi efforts) and still proves he surely
knows how to make a movie. A highly enjoyable caper with a brilliant reflection
of America of over 4 decades back
with marvelous
retro design.4 / B
- PB

CATCH-22
With Alan Arkin, Richard Benjamin, Jon Voigt, Martin Sheen, Martin Balsam,
Art Garfunkel, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins Directed by Mike Nichols
Joseph Heller’s popular anti-war novel gets a wonderful makeover by Nichols as
we witness wartime red tape, hypocrisy, economic opportunism, rank pulling and
avoidance of duty clash with the will to survive, remain sane and not have to
fight losing your life in a senseless war. Wonderful character-driven tale with
many thought provoking parallel story lines around the main theme of a recovering
Air Force captain in the Mediterranean who wants to claim insanity to escape having
to fight but having to deal with the argument that only a sane man would not want
to fight. Great dark comedy. 5 / A - PB

Dr.
Seuss' THE CAT IN THE HAT With Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota
Fnning, Spencer Breslin Directed by Bo Welch Mike Myers goes wild as
Dr. Seuss' nuts children's book title-character. Two bored kids have to keep their
house neat since their single mom is bringing over colleagues for a dinner party
(with a totally finicky clean-freak boss). Alec Baldwin is her sleazy scamster
boyfriend. When The Cat arrives, destruction, mayhem and chaos ensues in technicolour.
The production design and colour schemes are vibrant and cartoonish with digital
FX aplenty. This wild ride may be silly, but it's a whole lot of fun. Haven't
exactly heard of director Bo Welch before, but he handled the technical magnitude
of the project well. 3 / B - PB

CATS
If only I could snag 1% of Andrew Lloyd Webber's annual royalty payout, I'd
be one happy lad. His production of Cats has become the longest running Broadway
and West End show in history (his Phantom of the Opera not far behind). This popular
show is now available on video for the first time since it debuted in 1981. It
has become the most famous (and easily recognised) musical of all time. It has
spawned worldwide hits of which Memory is an instant nostalgia conjurer. The sets
are great, the costumes fabulous, the choreography precise and the music beautiful.
Shapely, curvaceous, supple lovies delve into their feline alter-egos to bring
out the best in every song and dance routine. The show was originally produced,
conceived and conducted by Cameron Mackintosh, based on "Old Possum's Book of
Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot. Elaine Paige stars as Grizabella with John Mills
and Ken Page making a turn with a few dozen furry singers/dancers/actors. All
the personalities are present here (not unlike the personalities of cats), including
wise-asses, cuties, the bee's knees, the old tattered cat, the once lovely pussy
fallen to tatters and so on. Still, the story line is quite irrelevant when viewed
in the shadow of the music and dance. Director David Mallet also give viewers
close up shots one could never see for yourself on stage (not like you'll get
prime seats on your vacation abroad, anyway). The soundtrack was digitally mastered
and re-recorded by a 70-piece orchestra. Quite fabulous, darling! This record
breaker is filled with excitement and energy; yet some might find it sappy and
tedious in parts, but it is nonetheless an incredible feat and noteworthy yardstick
for every new musical production hoping to be remembered for eternity, just like
this one. 4 / C - PB

CATS
& DOGS With Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, & voices by Alec Baldwin, Toby
McGuire, Susan Sarandon Directed by Lawrencve Guterman With the combination
of real animals, puppets and digitally created hounds & felines, the result is
a fun family film with high-tech talking cats & dogs who wage an age old war,
since the dominating Egyptian cats got booted out by man's best friend. Cat lovers
won't really like the evil streak in the pussies, the cute and righteous dogeroos
the good ones. Goldblum plays a scientist who's working on a formula to cure humans
of their dog allergies. An evil cat bent on world domination use his agents and
tactical kitty experts to intercept this formula in order to turn it around. A
misplaced puppy is accidentally heaped with the responsibility to prevent his
family's dad from losing his serum to the evil fluffy white Mr Tinkles (the way
Mr Bigglesworth used to be - kind of like Blofeld's cat had his own wicked sideline
to rule the world). The
film assembles a great assortment of animals, some hilarious, others more conventional.
The jokes are inane, but worth a giggle, the human situations in which these warring
pets find themselves the surreal highlight. Cutesy factors come into play more
than often, but hey, it is a family movie, so there… 3 / B - PB

THE
CAVE With Cole Hauser, Eddie Cibrian, Piper Perabo, Morris Chestnut, Marcel
IuresDirected by Bruce Hunt A team of cave diving experts is called in
to check out a cave found beneath the location where a church once stood in the
Carpathian mountain ranges. As in Exorcist
The Beginning,
this is obviously to keep something bad in. Our multi-cultural and -gender team
is excited to head into this newly found area with miles of unexplored tunnels.
With a lot of technology they venture into the dark unknown. What they discover
is an isolated ecosystem with a food chain. And at the top is one mean evolved
creature. Take a guess what cave dwelling creature (in the Carpathians) we're
talking about? After a cave-in traps them deep within the water-filled tunnels,
our human team becomes munchies as they try to find a way out. A few cool moments
result but some laborious suspense attempts puts a damper on things - unless you
suffer from both claustrophobic and a fear of water. If surprises are what you're
looking for, don't come knocking here. Australian director Hunt (who previously
worked as second unit director on The
Matrix
and shot the models for Dark
City)
doesn't do a bad job with the script he got, and there are some nice underwater
shots. 2 / C - PB

CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE With Samuel
L. Jackson, Colm Feore, Ann Magnuson Directed by Kasi Lemmons Jackson
plays a great pianist who went a bit off the deep end. Living in a cave in Central
Park, his delusions and schizo behaviour makes him a New York character. When
a dead kid is found in a tree outside his cave, he is convinced it is Stuyvesant,
the illusive Big Brother figure he condemns for spying on everyone, knowing everyone's
business. But a young homeless kid who was in love with the dead boy tells Caveman
about a renowned photographer who used the dead boy for his Angel shots. He believes
this artist is behind the killing. Caveman takes it upon himself to investigate
the photographer and at the same time reach some form of self-redemption. An interesting
film that plays like a suspense thriller as well as a semi-arthouse film delving
into the psyche of one man whose genius may have surpassed him. 3 / C
- PB

CELEBRITY
With Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis, Charlize Theron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe
Mantegna, Winona Ryder Directed by Woody Allen Branagh does the Allen-neurotic-New-Yorker
thing with more success than failure. For me because its so annoying and he gets
his just deserts unlike many Allen movies where the womanizer doesn’t get punished
enough. Branagh plays a writer whose midlife crises results in a divorce as he
tries to conquer younger beautiful women. A great supporting cast of well knowns
add to the film’s diverse charm. The black & white film stock looks marvelous.
One of Allen’s best films of the late 90’s. 5 / B- PB

CELINE
DION - All The Way…A Decade Of Song & Video This
definitive DVD collection contains 18 Celine
clips as well as a CD Best Of CD. Not a bad package at a regular price. The videos
include The Power Of Love (whatever happened to Jennifer
Rush?), If You Asked Me
To, Misled, Then You Look At Me and Live For The One I Love. The movie
tracks incl. Titanic
of course (My Heart Will Go On), Because You Loved Me (from Up
Close & Personal) and Beauty
And The Beast, a duet with Terry
Bradford. The latter two live
rendition, as with To Love You More, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
and the Frank Sinatra
duet. The video to the R.Kelly
duet, I'm Your Angel, wasn't excluded. The DVD also includes an additional
long version of It's All Coming Back To Me Now. The love songs by this
most popular of Canadians often take a shape in sexy videos - thing is, she is
hardly that. Celine
isn't ugly, but her sex appeal doesn't rate sky high. Great voice, yeah, but no
she can't pull off the kitten thing. The more serious, dramatic acts work better.
Extras include a biography, a discography and a photo gallery. Then of course
it is available in 5.1 Surround sound. The audio CD contains 16 tracks: Power
Of Love, Beauty And The Beast, Because You Loved Me, It's All Coming Back To Me
Now, Immortality To Love More, My Heart Will Go On, If Walls Could Talk, First
Time Ever, Then You Look, I Want You To Need Me, Live For One & Think Twice.
4 / C - PB CELINE
DION - A New Day…Live in Vegas
Her retirement not lasting as long as some of her anti-fan clubbers may have hoped,
the voice behind such commercial endeavours as Titanic
and Chrysler ads got her own spot in Vegas, the show city - the stop-over where
you know you've made it (or may well be checking out and moving on - Elvis?
Sinatra?).
This release contains 13 of the songs from her show plus two studio recordings
(You And I and Ain't Gonna Look The Other Way). The other tunes
include favourtes like (Jim
Steinman's)
It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Because You Loved Me, Fever, I Wish, (Cyndi
Lauper's)
I Drove All Night and It's A Wonderful World. In addition you get
a 45-minute DVD One Year / One Heart, getting behind the show experiencing.
You get behind the scenes footage - recording, video shoots, interview bits, rehearsals,
extracts from the show, her life etc. There's a full band and dozens of dancers
in this show created by Franco Dragone. (16 doctors get acknowledged on the thank-you
list, the nightly show obviously not a walk in the park!) This is set to be one
of biggest Vegas shows in history, with 200 performances a year, for 3 years.
The lady has an incredible voice, is incredibly skinny and incredibly successful.
With a couple of decades and 18 multi-platinum albums in more than one language
behind her Dion
is one of the biggest French-Canadian commodities. 5 / B - PB
THE CELL With Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D’Onofrio Directed
by Tarsem Singh To notice the music video background of director Singh can
seem evident even to those unfamiliar with that fact. Visually stunning, provocative,
rich in colour texture and composition, we’re treated to an amazing trip into
the mind of a serial killer. The killer in question is caught as he falls into
an irreversible coma. Psychological studies experts are called in to use new technology
to send someone into his mind and extract information to lead authorities to his
final victim, locked up somewhere in an automated cell which will fill with water
and drown her. Lopez is the lucky candidate to enter his twisted world. They do
not only run the risk of not finding the girl, but also of Lopez getting trapped
in his fantasy of torture, mayhem and macabre death. D’Onofrio succeeds in portraying
the twisted murderer whose abusive past and medical condition lead to his madness.
Vaughn is adequate, bland, but determined in his straightforward trademark way.
Lopez is not as hot as in Out Of Sight or her music videos, constantly whispering
with a crackling little voice and is merely a pawn in Singh’s elaborate, great
to watch game of photography, FX and imagery. 4 / B - PB

CELLULAR
With Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, William H. Macy Directed by
A biology & science teacher is kidnapped. She doesn't know why. It turns
out they want something from her husband, a real estate agent. The kidnappers
smash the phone in the attic where she's kept, but she manages to loosely assemble
it. By clicking wires she ends up randomly dialing a cell number of a young guy
hanging around the beachfront, trying to get his girl back. At first he doesn't
believe the woman's plea (who doesn't know where she's being kept). The guy eventually
gives her the benefit of the doubt, but if he hangs up, loses the signal or his
battery dies, she's lost forever (the unmasked kidnappers sure to kill her once
they get what they want). The race is on to prevent them from getting to her kid,
find the husband etc. A suspicious cop also gets involved as the story unfurls.
Some tension building sequences make for several action-suspense moments. Basinger's
looking good, but Statham is going through the same old whispering-tough-guy routine.
Cellular
was produced by former Roland Emmerich production partner Dean Devlin (doing a
cameo as a taxi driver). 3 / C - PB

THE
CELLULOID CLOSET A documentary by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. This in
depth documentary takes us through cinematic history, its focal point: the gay/lesbian
role in the art of film. The amazing archival stack of clips stretch from the
dawn of film to modern day, depicting the struggle for acceptance the gay community
has had within this heterosexual, homophobic industry. Enlightening interviews
with many prominent film makers shed new light on the subject while the background
on some scenes like Ben Hur's gay subtext (unbeknownst to macho-man Charlton Heston)
is as amusing as it is fascinating. Definitely not a "gay only" film. 4
/ B- PB

THE
CENTER OF THE WORLD With Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Parker, Mel Gorham, Jason
McCabe Directed by Wayne Wang With digital video feature films becoming
more and more acceptable, the ball will be in the writers' court when it comes
to interesting and innovative stories to prevent it from looking like boring home
movies. With this film, Wang takes us into the world of two people. One is a young
man who made a fortune in the digital age - Peter Sarsgaard. The other is a young
woman who plays in a band and works in a strip joint - Molly Parker. Sarsgaard
is constantly stuck in front of numerous computer screens - he seriously needs
to get out. She can do with extra cash. A deal is made shortly after he meets
Parker. She must accompany him to Vegas for an all expenses paid weekend where
she'll perform for him and treat him in various ways (but no sex) - oh, yeah,
and it'll cost him 10 grand. But, for this to remain an impersonal set-up is highly
unlikely. He's a bit of geek and she's a sultry girl with a sex appeal that doesn't
depend on Hollywood good looks. The digital video quality gives it that gritty
realism, free of the box office veneer, the sexual and erotic moments so much
more impacting since it reflects in a more genuine way than a make-up pasted,
perfectly lit 35mm quality of, say, a Basic Instinct. The great performances and
personal camerawork contributes to the film's power in reaching inside the viewer
and either titillate, move or shock. An explicit moment which will no doubt have
prudes up in arms involve a stripper and a lollipop…
The Center Of The World's title gets related in two vastly different ways by
each character and their respective immediate realities. Flesh is easily accessed
on porn-sites or strip-joints, but it's the more fragile and complex emotions
inside that turns the basic and animalistic into a complicated and biting issue.
5 / B - PB

CENTURY
Our century has seen the biggest development in the history of the human
race. Yet, so often the technological development gets overshadowed buy our idiocy,
contradicting the "humanity" to which we claim to belong. These last 100 years
of extremes (good & bad), of which we are an integral part, nurtured, utilised
and revolutionised the one invention which changed the way we look at at life
and ourselves - no, not the PC but the motion picture camera. Besides a means
of entertainment, film has managed to capture those things foreign to us, be it
other nations, natural phenomena or important world events. A vast pictorial history
has been built up from this significant century where in the past folktales and
paintings had to suffice. BMG now brings you the amazing 13 part series, Century,
highlighting some of the most significant, interesting, entertaining, shocking,
educational and staggering events which shaped and moulded our globe over the
past 100 years. Our entire century crammed into 13 hours of so much incredible
development to be proud of...and so much to equally hang our heads in shame. From
the archives of British Pathe and the BBC, narrated by Tom Baker (ex- Doctor Who
of the '70s), we get to see a concise reflection on exactly what we've accomplished
in this brief moment in time. INTO THE UNKNOWN Through time there has always
been that single breed that refused being bound by limitations. On this tape we
get to see these courageous, determined, often-lunatic heroes attempt to break
whatever record remains unbroken. Higher, faster or further, even the already
broken records are taken on with more determination. To be bigger and better will
never dissolve as we are yet to see how many more unbroken barriers will be attempted
into the new millennium. POLITICS OF VIOLENCE This one speaks for itself.
As far back as the cavemen, conflicting ideas and thoughts resulted in aggression
and death. With so many cavemen still among us, the ideas might have changed to
more complex ideologies, while the means of inflicting it improved. Sheep following
leaders into carnage or just freedom fighters, the result is the same - death,
pain and a new begrudged minority. Revolutions (necessary as they are), assassinations
and terrorism has changed the shape of politics forever. DEATH AND GLORY
With the improved means of destruction, the killing fields of the 20th century
has out grossed battles, body counts and the sheer scale of disruption like never
before. Ruining lives, tearing families apart and destabilising world economies.
If by now we haven't learnt our lesson after 2 world wars, atomic bombs, Vietnam
and the Gulf, we probably deserve what's coming to us. Still, it doesn't kill
to have hope. Seeing footage like this should only turn around warmongers if nothing
else. OBSESSION As our technological and mental development progressed,
we have also gained a magnitude of obsessive behaviour. The most prominent of
these are health, beauty, fitness and fashion. We want to be more and more desirable
and appealing and go to any lengths ensuring this. Never satisfied with the way
we were born, we go out of our way to improve our appearance in any way possible
- go figure. METROPOLIS Man's mechanical advance has lead to the creation
of magnificent structures and machines. Always adapting to its surroundings, man
will stop at nothing to control everything around him and fulfil his vision, however
big. FAME Our fascination with those in the limelight is one we cannot
deny. In every sector of life there are those who rise to prominence, their fame
often being infamy. We want to know about these people, what they do, where they
go, what they like and hate. We want to be them but wouldn't dare, as we know
the higher you rise, the harder you fall. SCANDAL A direct result of
fame is scandal. Being in the public eye, whether it's a movie star, politician
or sports hero, tabloids and gossip hounds will stop at nothing to blow these
people out of the water. Being under the microscope intensifies sexually inappropriate
behaviour, underhanded monetary dealings or a wide range of criminal activities.
I'm surprised OJ Simpson didn't get a feature...then again CNN ensured an OJ OD
24 hrs a day when it happened, so he isn't missed. I AM THE GREATEST
Like any other hero, the sport star has risen close to royalty in this century.
With such sports giants as Muhamed Ali, Martina Navratilova and hundreds of other
athletes who excelled in their particular discipline, we adore and admire them
for their strength, endurance and success (and wish we could earn one tenth of
what they do!). FREEDOM Oppression can never last forever. Freedom is
its natural outcome. Martin Luther King changed the face of the USA by leading
his people to freedom, as did Mandela a few years back. This resistance is never
without blood, sweat, tears and death. And we admire those who sacrifice. Civil
disobedience and civil rights have freed so many, yet I wonder what is so civil
about blowing up innocent people having dinner in Planet Hollywood. DISASTER
We are dwarfed in the shadow of nature. But being in her path, feeling her
fury is nothing personal, it's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Tidal waves, hurricanes and earthquakes strike as we witness its course
helplessly. Manmade disasters on the other hand are despicable acts, which needs
serious checking. There is no excuse for an oil spill or the extinction of an
endangered species. VOX POPS Mass media has turned the earth into a
global village where in the past news from the other end of the world took months,
if not years to reach a destination. Now everything is instant with satellites,
PCs and 24hr news stations. Everything is everyone’s business, including Business!
The immense influence of this medium has changed the face of our century forever.
UTOPIA Ideologies always seem so good on paper; and even better if it
benefits you and not the other guy. Here we get to take a look at the variety
of ideological thought patterns of the past 10 decades and just how its merits
and shortcomings have made us what we are today. LEGACY With such a
vibrant, exciting and unbelievable century behind us, so many changes have been
left in its wake. So much progress (and, yes, regress) have left technological,
economical, musical, political, social, religious, artistic and cultural legacies
for the next generations to either accept, perfect or discard. With just over
a year left of this century, how much more can still happen before that new year's
party when your computer might decide it's not playing along anymore (?!)
4 / A- PB

CHANGING
LANES With Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Affleck, Sidney Pollack, William Hurt,
Amanda Peet Directed by Roger Michel Before you groan and go "uuh, another
Falling Down", bite your lip and listen. Fanny-chinned
Affleck can be a bit of a painful American star-hero at times, but this is one
of those where he pulls off a good role - albeit because of his juxtaposed part
with Jackson - who is in top form as usual (crap choices like Deep Blue Sea
long forgiven). Jackson plays an ordinary working man, a recovering alcoholic
who doesn't want to lose his kids - his wife moving to another state with them.
He wants to get them a house so they can remain in the same city. Affleck is the
high shooting lawyer (married to the boss's daughter) who has to deliver an important
document to court. Fatefully their lives meet when they crash into one another
on the freeway. Our hotshot lawyer is too hurried to sort out the insurance procedure
and leaves Everyman stranded - he misses his court case for joint child custody
and loses out completely while lawyer-man left the important file at the scene,
Jackson now in possession of it. The document becomes a trump card in the lives
of the two men. Our Everyman gets pushed into breakpoint situations and explodes
little by little, not in one big action packed act of violence. No, systematically
forces bigger than him make his already tense life a living hell. The resolution
can only go one way or the other. Redemption is high on the list. A drama well
worth watching. 4 / B - PBCHARLIE
AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY With Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly,
Noah Taylor, Helena Bonham-Carter Directed by Tim Burton Many of us
remember the madcap Gene Wilder starring Willy
Wonka And The Chocolate Factory made
at the beginning of the '70s. Now over three decades later, the only man right
for the job, Tim Burton (together with his favourite actor Johnny Depp) resurrect
Roald Dahl's classic children's tale of an eccentric sweet magnate's plan to invite
five lucky kids inside his top secret factory. This is done with all of the technology
at Burton's disposal, and some incredible sets. When digital assistance is used
in such a crazy colourful fantasy piece, it is most effective. With a host of
brats winning the spots, a prize awaits one of the kids at the end of the visit
- but one boy, Charlie, is the truly deserving one. The insane escapism will amuse
old and young, the former seeing more of the darker subtexts and moral bits and
pieces. A hoot that cements Tim Burton's move back to his weird and quirky form
(together with Big
Fish)
after his uncharacteristic dive with the Planet
Of The Apes
remake. 4 / B - PB

CHARLIE’S ANGELS With Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray,
Kelly Lynch, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Tim Curry Directed by Joseph McGinty
Nichol I’ve never been much of a Diaz or Liu fan (OK, once or twice she made
me look in Ally McBeal). Where little Drew is concerned, she has never been looked
down upon in my department, thus having me think that this one redeeming factor
would get me to sit through the 100 minutes or so of big-buckeroo TV to big screen
transformation. Was I ever wrong. All three are sassy, sexy, hot, funny, cute
and tough, all in one. And then there is the ultra teaming Kelly Lynch (older
and even more sexy than ever) as well as the lunatic Crispin Glover as the silent,
fighting mad henchman to the bad guy. (Really great to see him again) A dynamite
package indeed. Throw in some great fight sequences (echoing The Matrix in some
scenes, in particular a fantabulous alley scene with the Angels & Crispin to Prodigy’s
Smack My Bitch up - wow), silly humour, explosion, wild chases & gimmicks, cheese
and you have an escapist hit with a lot of style, flair and energy. As we all
know, the Angels are three diverse girls backed by a millionaire, Charlie (voiced
by Mr Forsyth of Dynasty fame), to fight crime. In this assignment they have to
obtain stolen software from a high security system that can prove fateful to the
privacy and safety of the human race - but, this elaborate ploy holds many secrets
and back stabbing, the plot unfolding into all directions. Above all else, the
style and girls fitting it perfectly hold the whole thing together - wrapped in
retro 70’s fashion with a 2000 twist, a humming soundtrack and elaborate set pieces,
Charlie’s Angels is a fine remake that outdoes the show (obviously), but also
leaves future sequels wide open - Do we hear the franchise rolling in?5
/ A - PB

CHARLIE'S
ANGELS 2 - Full Throttle With Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi
Moore, Luke Wilson, Bernie Mac, Crispin Glover, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick,
Matt LeBlanc Directed by McG As you ought to know, the story here matters
little. It's the girls, the action, the cars, the music, the slick techniques
and cheeky humour that makes this second big screen take on the classic TV series
so irresistible. While the girl trio face off against an ex-agent (played by a
hot Demi Moore), Glover returns as the creepy thin guy (brilliant). The Diaz-Wilson
romance seems to be pushing to another level and LeBlanc's action actor character
also drifts onto the scene on Liu's case. Drew's penchant for bad boys come back
to haunt her when an ex-con Irish psycho ex-boyfriend comes at her with a vengeance.
Bill Murray's part of Bosley gets substituted by his black brother (Bernie Mack)
- the original movie perhaps a little too lily shaded for cross-cultural identification
(Lucy Liu excluded of course). A great soundtrack adds to proceedings, motoring
along nicely. This sequel fulfills in all the requirements which result in a wild
ride and a buoyant blast with a lot of flash, some over the top action sequences
and great utilization of Matrix pioneered techniques. 4 / B - PB

CHEAPER
BY THE DOZEN With Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo, Hilary Duff, Tom
Welling Directed by n/a As if the world isn't over populated as it is!
The Bakers have a dozen kids (and a mom with one punished uterus). They live out
in the country where their daily life is a chaotic madhouse but seems to work.
When dad gets offered a dream coaching job, it means they have to move to the
city. They're not too happy about that - uprooting, new school, leaving friends
(and girlfriends) behind. On top of it, mom wrote a book about them and has to
go on a tour to promote it. So, dad has his hands full trying to do a good job
and maintain order at home. Obviously in between lame humour and over the top
situations the morality and family values come in, the juggle between job and
family etc. While it's aimed at kids, some adults may enjoy this sentimental stinker,
and probably only if they can identify with having a bunch of rugrats ripping
up the place. With that pathetic pose on the cover you almost read Martin's thoughts
along the lines of "oh my God, what have I become?" One of the highlights is Ashton
Kushner's bit part as a self-obsessed idiot boyfriend who does TV underwear commercials.
2 / C - PB

CHICKEN
LITTLE With voices by Zach Braff, Gary Marshall, Don Knotts, Patrick Stewart,
Steve Zahn, Joan Cusack, Harry Shearer, Adam West Directed by Mark Dindal
Chicken Little is exactly that - a little chicken, with big dreams, baseball
aspirations and a big imagination. The chaos created in Oakey Oaks after he flipped
out, alarming the town that the sky is falling, sets up the "boy who cried wolf"
scenario which endlessly plagues the poor little giblet. From then on no-one takes
him seriously, until he witnesses the event again, solves it, and gets a chance
to prove himself. With his odd bunch of pals (including a pig and a goldfish),
many a funny scenario sets up a lot of laughter filled moments for the kids, with
the obligatory message built into. The voice of Adam West (from the old Batman
TV series also gets put to good use). PS. It doesn't seem as though there
are many animated or kids movies nowadays that does not feature a single parent
family. Sign of the times? 3 / B - PB

CHICKEN
RUN With the voices of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels, Miranda Richardson,
Lynn Ferguson Directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park The Aardman animation
group has made some amazing films in the past - mainly shorts or ads. In this
feature length claymation spectacular you get action-adventure, drama, comedy
and even a bit of romance - all amongst a bunch of chickens! The talented creators
of Wallace & Gromit and several other fantastic animation shows us a very human
side to what we usually see at the drive-thru window as Nuggets. In this lovely,
believable stop animation experience we have a chicken farm, a wicked owner and
an ambitious hen determined on breaking out. Add an American rooster to the British
mix and you have quite a caper on your hands. Our heroine, Ginger, busts her gizzard
to escape the concentration camp-like prison where they have to make their egg
quota or it’s the chopping block. She can escape on her own, but it’s getting
the whole roost out of there that poses the biggest problem. When a Yank rooster
from a travelling circus lands, they believe he can fly and help to whisk them
off to freedom. Things get even hotter when the farm boss decides to buy a pie-making
machine and get the big bucks in stead of the measly revenue brought in with the
inferior eggs. With many cinematic references like The Great Escape and even Indiana
Jones, Chicken Run does have a fine identity of its own, the super-detailed clay
animation so realistic and jaw dropping, down to little mannerisms and beads of
sweat. This is not exactly a film for kids, although they could enjoy it, looking
past the serious human issues in the narrative. A beautiful Christmas film for
all. [Just like Escort pork sausages was not the endorsement of choice for Babe,
Chicken Lickin’ will not get the deal in this particular case - that’s for sure]
5 / A - PB

THE
CHILDREN OF THE CENTURY (Les Enfents du Siecle) With Juliette Binoche, Benoit
Magimel, Stefano Dionisi Directed by Diane Kurys This art house film
is based on the relationship between two French literary icons of the 19th century,
George Sand (the stunning Binoche) and Alfred de Musset (the annoying Benoit Magimel).
A fine period piece filled with conflict, tortured genius, beauty and disgrace.
The writers of the screenplay said: “The place and importance of love in one’s
life is not always immediately clear. It is only with the passage of time that
we appreciate the true measure of the feeling we have experienced, and like Sand
at the end of the film, recognise that we have at least once, genuinely loved
someone with all our heart” - Francois Olivier Rousseau, Murray Head & Diane Kurys.
3 / C - PB

THE
CHILL FACTOR With David Fields, Dawn Laurrie Directed by Christopher
Webster Goodness gracious. When reading the box to this little outing already
brings up a smile, knowing this is going to be a schlock-fest. Watching it proves
even worse. A bunch of twenty-somethings end up in an old, dodgy, ex-religious
camp sight cabin, after one gets hurt during a snowmobile race. They have to hole
up till help comes and my word, do they ever pad every freakin’ scene they can.
The stalking hooded figure terrorizing them is a laugh and the murders lack so
much imagination, you cannot help but find it hilarious. This has to be seen to
be believed, even if it’s only for the (unintentional) funny voice over. 1 / C - PB

CHOCOLAT
With Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Lena Olin, Alfred Molina
Directed by Lasse Halstrôm The tale of the stranger blowing into
town and touching everyone's life is an old, tried and tested one. In this version
Binoche and her daughter arrive in an extremely conservative french town in 1960.
The uptight mayor's wife is on "holiday" and he forces his morals on everyone,
even to the extent of writing the young preacher's sermons. His intolerance for
change or anything new and out of the ordinary that doesn't fall within his biblical
interpretations is seen as heretic. When Binoche opens a chocolate shop during
the abstinence of Lent he seems top make it his personal quest to oust her and
her daughter. All the inhabitants have their own little secrets, skeletons and
flaws while the hold of the mayor makes hypocrites of them all. Her methods, kind
persona and advice accompanying her specially selected home made chocolate for
each character gets the mayor in a tiff as if she's mocking his authority and
God's commandments - and even more so when Gypsies arrive and stop over on the
river, Binoche getting attracted to Depp. Her daughter serves as the innocent
but wise mirror of these events all throughout the tale, wanting to belong, but
constantly running with her mom from one place to the next. A lovely, touching
and sweet film that reads a lot more into the reaction of our senses and souls
when it comes to basic humanity and manmade rules & regulations, while the easy
way out of conforming is self-defeating. But then, running all the time is a similar
semi-cowardly act of not facing the obstacles and saying "no more". These and
more get translated to the viewer in a subtle and artistic fashion with a rustic
Euro look - artistic and in English where it could easily have been a French film.4 / C - PB

CHOPPER
With Eric
Bana, Simon Lyndon, Vince Colosimo, Kate Beaham Directed by Andrew Dominik
Australia being an ex-prison colony, one would expect a few hard nuts & bad-asses
to come from its loins. Chopper is one of the country's most controversial real
life crime characters. His tall tales and actual acts of madness (like mutilating
his ears to get out of a sector in jail where he was sure to get killed) are both
shocking in its graphic depiction as well as comical in its stupidity. Chopper's
exploits after his release and re-incarceration gained him added notoriety, but
his simple, trusting loyalty (even to those who betrayed him) calls for sympathy
as his large tattooed figure cuts a sad shape in a world where your upbringing
has as much to do with your own ability to do good or wrong. Chopper became one
of the best selling writers in Australia, even though he's pretty much illiterate.
The gritty atmosphere and handling of the factual content gives the film a believable
streak without diminishing its entertainment value, many of the techniques giving
the film a surreal atmosphere at times. The opening sequence has a chilling scene
where Chopper's friends turn on him in jail, the stabbing so realistic and unusual
it has to be witnessed. It's definitely in the Top 10 Stabbing Scenes of
all time. 4 / B - PB The
Work Of Director CHRIS CUNNINGHAM
I saw one of my favourite music videos for the first time on a late night VH1
rock show. It was Aphex
Twin's
Come To Daddy. Its creator, Chris
Cunningham.
A totally freaky dark excursion that'll flip out anyone watching it on acid. Having
worked in film special effects, Cunningham
decided he wants to make music videos. His incredible blend of dark and staggering
imagery with digital technology, physical effects (like prosthetics) and an acute
awareness of rhythm and beats (physically cutting to different patterns in the
music), he has a knack for the medium that many can learn from. His DVD only contains
8 video clips, but my goodness are they concentrated works of genius. There are
two Aphex
Twin clips,
the aforementioned Come To Daddy (featuring threatening kids wearing realistic
and morbid masks of Aphex
Twin mastermind
Richard D. James) and the mind-blowing Windowlicker (complete with booty
babes dance routines and the R.D. James mask recurring, even more horrifically
on the hot bodies) - hilarious and daunting at the same time. There is the robotic
assembly class of Björk's
All Is Full Of Love (as well a making of). Leftfield's
voodoo'd character literally falling to pieces in New York is fantastic, as is
Squarepusher's
whacked-out near-Manga trip inside a kid's asylum. His first stab at the medium
can be seen with Autechre's
clip of manic distortions, flashes and mechanics. Portishead's
video, shot underwater is a poetic visual painting. His most commercial installment
is the stark, gothic flavoured Frozen by Madonna.
Some of his other work is also included, like adverts for Sony PlayStation,
Nissan and an unscreened Levi's ad. You can also drop your jaw to the
video installations flex and Monkey Drummer. If need be, you can
watch the bleeped version of Windowlicker
(it's intro of a wise-ass thug trying to pick up ho's filled with cliché profanity).
Highly sought after, but very selective in his choice of projects, anyone who
manages to get Cunningham
to put pictures to their audio should feel blessed. Each of these Palm Pictures
Directors releases contains a stylish, individual, info packed 52-page book with
pictures, interviews, drawings and other great stuff on each groundbreaking director.
Truly inspiring video makers. 6 / A - PB CHRIS
DE BURGH - The Ultimate Collection Not the hippest cat around, but
amid his soppy and easy listening pop tracks he has written and recorded some
good songs. This triple box set includes two CDs with 38 of his favourite tracks,
as well as a DVD with 12 videos. The Best Of CDs include songs like Sailing
Away, Fatal Hesitation, Missing You, The Lady In Red, Waiting For The Hurricane,
One Word, This Is Love, Borderline, So Beautiful, Carry Me, Say Goodbye To It
All, Where We Will Be Going, Don't Pay The Ferryman, Ship To Shore, Patricia The
Stripper 2000, The Simple Truth, High On Emotion, The Traveller, A Spaceman Came
Traveling, Diamonds In The Dark, and Man On The Line. Half of the clips
on the DVD are live videos, including Don't Pay The Ferryman, Borderline, Say
Goodbye To It All, Sailing Away, A Spaceman Came Traveling, When I Think Of You,
and Patricia The Stripper. Others include Ship To Shore, High On Emotion,
The Lady In Red, Tender Hands, and Missing You. A piece on his background
would've been a cool addition, since we know a lot of his songs, but very little
about the man himself. 3 / B - PBCHRISTINE
With Keith Jordan, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Harry Dean Stanton Directed
by John Carpenter Based on Stephen King's novel, this haunted car tale was
translated well by Carpenter, although the choice of lead knocks it down a touch.
The car in question is a marvelous cherry red 1958 Plymouth Fury. When this beauty
becomes the wheels of a nerdy, unpopular school kid, the possessed car not only
takes its own course resulting in several deaths, but also starts to affect the
lad. Some good thrills and a bit of suspense, but nothing like Carpenter's more
chilling Halloween
or gory The
Thing.
3 / B - PB THE
CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK With Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Colm Feore, Keith David,
Judi Dench, Thandi Newton, Alexa Davalos Directed by David Twohy This
direct sequel from the enjoyable sci-fi hit Pitch Black (which introduced
the vicious convict character of Riddick) almost suffers from digital overload,
but once you surrender into its effects-laden domain, you let the organic blend
in with the artificial for a wild action-packed ride with anti-heroic triumph
at its heart. After the events of Pitch Black, Riddick lay low. But someone
put a bounty on his head, forcing him on the run. A vicious race called the Necromongers
traverse the universe forcing planets to surrender unto them. They threaten to
destroy the whole universe, and guess who is the one guy who may be able to stop
them? The cold hearted Riddick has to choose between looking out for number one
or save a pathetic little race from extinction. Some of the weaker moments is
in the choice of support casting, but director Twohy maintains the large-scale
action with a competent digital effects team, well choreographed fight scenes
and keeps it flowing at a great pace. This is way more over the top than its predecessor,
but a whole lot of fun (the so-called bad-ass Riddick still fighting the good
fight and not an indiscriminate meany). 4 / B - PB

CHUCK
& BUCK With Mike White, Chris Weitz, Beth Colt Directed by Migual Arteta
When Buck's mother dies, one of the friends he notifies is Chuck - his childhood
buddy and first (& probably only) sexual experience. He has changed very little
since he was a kid, living with his heavy smoking mom in his childhood room, still
exactly the same, still sucking lollipops. Chuck however is happy in a heterosexual
relationship with a good job at a record company. At the funeral reception, Buck
tries to get intimate with Chuck who gets freaked out by it. He has moved on from
their fooling around as kids, while its impact had a lasting effect on the maladjusted,
strangely weird Buck. With his inheritance he moves to the city, into a crummy
hotel, stalking Chuck. Across his office block a run down theatre puts on kiddies
shows. Buck pays the door lady to direct a fairytale play he'd written in a few
days, based on the experiences with Chuck and which he believes made him the way
he is. Shot on digital video, the film has an awkward realism to it that adds
to the dark, uncomfortable tone of the film. It could be viewed as a "gay" film
in many respects, but even if it's not seen in that light, it's still very much
fringe cinema. 2 / C - PB

CITY
BY THE SEA With
Robert DeNiro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, William Forsyth, George Dzundza
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones If you've seen the trailer to this one,
you probably didn't have the urge to run to the nearest cinema on its opening
day. If like me you hadn't, you can now catch it on DVD. City
By The Sea
is one of those cases where the trailer can spoil a film's potential. It seems
like another old boring Bobby D cop thriller. Give it a chance. The premise can
be summed up in a nutzipper - DeNiro's a cop whose estranged son is a drug addict
wanted for murder. These basics get well structured, dissected and emoted by really
taking care in getting the viewer to be drawn into the individual characters'
lives, personalities, struggles and race against time. Delving into the dad-cop's
past, regrets and guilt feelings also add to the film's success - especially with
DeNiro doing a good job. The melancholic mood created by the once flourishing
seaside area of Long Beach (now a ghost town of drug dealers and low-life's) sets
the tone reflecting the emotional state of the leads, adding to the convincing
dramatic nuances. 4 / C - PB

A
CIVIL ACTION With John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub, William H.
Macy, John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan Directed by Steven Zaillian Travolta
plays a small time claims lawyer who takes on a big company whose contaminated
water affected a whole community. Inspiring against-the-odds court drama - which
was echoed with the film version of the real tale of Erin Brockovich… 4 / C- PB

CLIFF
RICHARD - World Tour 2003
After multiple decades as an entertainer, countless number one hits and gold &
platinum albums, Sir Cliff can still put on a show at a very ripe age.
He also still has an army of fans around the world from kids to OAP's. This DVD
captures a live show in New Zealand from his 2003 tour, packing the songs in.
They include some of his classics like We Don't Talk Anymore, Some People,
Born To Rock & Roll, and of course The Young Ones. His medleys include
one of his own hits, an Elvis
double header, Doo Wop and Christmas medleys. With covers including the likes
of What's Love Got To Do With It, Moon River, Be Bop A Lula, Whole Lotta Shakin'
Goin' On and No Particular Place To Go, the show contains over 30 songs
and has his fans leaving well satisfied. The disc also contains a documentary
on the planning and execution of this tour, which takes as much effort and manpower
as any rock show. Obviously this is strictly reserved for Cliff
fans and is not a good shot in the dark for someone with contemporary musical
tastes looking for something new to zip into their DVD player. A great gift for
the folks, though. 4 / C - PB

A
CLOCKWORK ORANGE With Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri
Directed by Stanley Kubrick With the release of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece
(based on the controversial novel by Anthony Burgess sparked by the violent rape
of his wife), the outcry of British prudes led to the director’s self-imposed
ban of the film in his native country. The audiences in 1971 were not exactly
ready for it (as they weren’t for Peeping Tom - 1960, or Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss
Song - 1971). These film’s were later declared masterpieces after gaining underground
cult status - that is if you could get hold of it, and when so, in fully uncensored
versions. A Clockwork Orange is a social commentary around the life and exploits
of a juvenile into Beethoven and ultra-violence. His incarceration after a spate
of violent and perverse acts leads to him being chosen as guinea pig for a new
rehabilitation method: he is forced to watch films of rape, violence and general
perversion (to the soundtrack of his favourite composer) while special drugs induce
nausea. Whenever the urge for any subversive act (or sound of Beethoven) grabs
him, he gets violently ill - a sort of warped Pavlov’s Dog experiment. Obviously
there’s far more to the film than just that. The futuristic glance of its time
may be dated in many ways, but the lawless degradation of our society is pretty
spot-on. With Kubrick’s unfortunate passing on, the film is now being widely released.
Like The Exorcist, this cinematic triumph is one of those visual accomplishments
no self-respecting film enthusiast can go without seeing. 6 / A- PB…the
2nd opinion…A
CLOCKWORK ORANGE With Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri
Directed by Stanley Kubrick Master director Stanley Kubrick didn't just go
out and shoot slapdash pictures. His methodical filmmaking talent always had a
set purpose and focused outcome. Here he took Anthony Burgess' controversial social
commentary on crime and criminal reform, freedom & personal liberties, and the
misuse of power and turned it into an historic film which the world in an uproar
- a result which had him totally disillusioned with viewers, critics, exhibitors
and distributors alike. The tale (with heavy black comedic doses) spins around
Alex, a young Beethoven obsessed juvenile delinquent in the future, who with his
gang of "droogs" commit crimes of violence wherever they go. Alex is incarcerated
for his vicious crimes and subjected to a new controversial experimental method
of rehabilitation (with a many drawbacks). Burgess' uniquely created language
was also held in tact. Explicit for its time, this was also the film that had
a disgusted Kubrick withdraw it from release in many countries whose conservative
narrow-minded attitude labeled him as something he wasn't, completely missing
the point. The movie also made McDowell a star. The soundtrack is a synthesized
classical extravaganza. Beyond a cult classic, this is one of those films you
can't afford to miss (like most of the late great Kubrick's films). 6
/ A - PBCLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND With Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri
Garr, Melinda Dillon Directed by Steven Spielberg This is the film that
really gelled the Spielberg look, which has been the basis of many a sci-fi related
film by this popular director (from E.T.
and A.I.,
through Minority
Report
and War
Of The Worlds).
The fascinating subject of life elsewhere in the universe is amazingly brought
to the screen by focusing strange UFO phenomena sightings on a regular family
man whose obsession with this life-changing experience takes over his life as
he feels drawn to a location where government institutions have been collecting
messages from outer space for an historic rendezvous. The natural characters,
humanity and great atmosphere, together with the special FX (still amazing many
decades later), Close
Encounters
is a timeless classic, its late-'70s style & fashion the only thing that dates
it. This was also one of the first films that got an extended Special Edition
release, kind-of like a director's cut. 6 / A - PB

A
CLOSE SHAVE Directed and Animated by Nick Park Our two pals run a little
window washing business and one fine day Wallace discovers the client who's windows
they're cleaning, Wendolene Ramsbottom, is the girl of his dreams ! But all is
not well, as to be expected. Meanwhile, evil sheep rustlers are cleaning up the
area and an escaped sheep hides out in W&G's home. They adopt him. Preston, a
malevolent dog who lives with Wendolene forces her to conspire in stealing Wallace's
latest invention, the Knit-o-Matic. Wallace is framed by Preston who wants to
convert the machine for his dog food factory and our inventor gets a life sentence
for sheep rustling ! Can Gromit save the day? Thrilling excitement like no other
with a bit of Terminator thrown in. This last in the series of three make this
an unmissable trilogy for the whole family. 6 / A- PB

COACH
CARTER With Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Robert Ri'Chard, Rick Gonzalez,
Ashanti Directed by Thomas Carter The classic "rise from your disadvantaged
struggles via basketball" premise is at work here in full force. Difference is,
it stars the man, Sam Jackson, is based on a real life character, and is in fact
an inspiring motion picture that refuses to tug the heartstrings (too much). Ken
Carter, a successful sport storeowner volunteered to coach his old school basketball
team. With an all time record losing streak, he takes it upon himself to not only
bring them back to winning form, but also discipline and shape them as responsible
men who respect others and plan to make something of their lives as opposed to
living out the statistics of dropping out, not making college, ending up in jail
or dead. With initial resistance from the insecure schoolboys who want to act
tough and demand respect when they deserve none for free, Carter has them sign
a contract to abide by his rules and also maintain a specific grade point average.
One of the kids is his son who transferred to this less prestigious school to
be coached by his dad, another has a pregnant girlfriend and one is involved in
drug dealing. But he whips them into shape and teaches them way more than just
playing and winning, he shows them the real meaning of respect, pride and dignity
in the face of the odds. During their winning streak Carter actually took a drastic
step, locking down the gym and forfeiting games because they didn't honour part
of the contract agreement to tend to their schoolwork - resulting in protest from
the parents and faculty calling for his resignation. Carter's foray into saving
young men from their circumstances leads to a very satisfying outcome, sidestepping
the usual routines. While the inner city dangers and fears are there, this is
a movie of hope choosing not to exploit the usual music video clichés of hustlers
and ho's, violence and bloodshed. 4 / B - PB COLD
CREEK MANOR With Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliet Lewis,
Christopher Plummer Directed by Mike Figgis With varying celluloid accomplishments
(from Internal Affairs to Leaving Las Vegas),
Mike Figgis has opted for a predictable, not very scary thriller about a New York
family who moves to a rural area to escape the city life. The repossessed mansion
they purchase gets fixed up, but the previous owner pitches up, slowly making
things very difficult for them, first harassment and terrorizing, then murder
soon on the cards. With one too many predictable set-ups (from the villain's death
location to his weapon of choice), Figgis played thrill-by-numbers that sure ain't
no trip down Hitchcock lane. If only it was a ghostly old mansion tale
as it seems from the title and poster, in stead it tries to go for the secret
angle- a house with a nasty past that comes back to physically haunt the present.
Quaid goes through it on autopilot while Stone reverts from her once big star
significance to the plain wife accessory role (the ones Charlize Theron used to
get). Lewis does her usual white trash turn while Plummer is the groggy, bed ridden
abusive father of the psychotic Dorff. DVD contains deleted scenes and alternate
endings. 1 / C - PB

COLDPLAY-
Live 2003 Coldplay
seemed to come from out of nowhere with Parachutes and just set the whole
world on fire with their somber but moving alternative pop-rock. For this live
performance of 2003 the four piece packs in 17 songs, like Politik, God Put
A Smile Upon Your Face, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Daylight, Trouble, One I
Love, Don't Panic, Shiver, everyone's favourite Yellow, Clocks, In My Place,
Amsterdam and Life Is For Living. Their conscientious Free Trade campaign
had a huge reaction and this is also touched on in the 40 minute Tour Diary Documentary
including interviews with all the members, looks at them doing press and general
activities to be seen while a band is touring the globe. The very cool menu graphics
(also used in the docy) is a 3D map of the tour route. Other extras include a
multi-angle feature and lyrics. An emotive and powerful show seeing the band at
their peak. 4 / B - PB COLLATERAL
With Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx Directed by Michael Mann Michael Mann
has given us a range of flicks from thrillers like the Red Dragon adaptation
Manhunter, horrors like The Keep, historic period action romance
like Last Of The Mohicans, crime thrillers like Heat and sports
biopics like Ali. Not to forget his creation of Miami Vice. This
tense thriller focuses the action on two characters in the confined space of a
taxi, occasionally venturing out. A taxi driver aspiring to start his own limo
service takes pride in his job and vehicle. His night shift becomes a nightmare
when an assassin makes him complicit in his list of hits by forcing him to drive
from one location to the next. A very well paced, exciting and tense drama with
action elements, both leads delivering good performances as we wait for the outcome
of this fateful night. I sometimes wonder exactly how they decide who is the lead
in a situation like this. Reason being Foxx got Oscar®
nominated as best supporting actor (simultaneously with best lead for Ray, which
he got of course) - but with pretty much the same screen time as Cruise (and no
less inferior performance), does Tom get lead status because he's been doing it
longer, gets paid more, is whiter? Hey, I don't know, but it would've been cool
had Foxx grabbed both lead and supporting Oscars®, don't you think? 5
/ C - PB

COLLATERAL
DAMAGE With Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Leguizamo, John Turturro Directed
by Andrew Davis Arnold's back and it ain't no big thing. He's Gordy Brewer,
a firefighter whose wife and kid get killed in a terrorist bombing attack (ominously
stark in the shadow of September 11). "The Wolf", the Colombian responsible for
the devastation targeted his country's consulate and US agents in response for
the Yanks' involvement in their civil war (drugs at the heart of it) - but he
slips from their grasp. His slain family are considered colatteral damage (a term
used frquently during US bombings of Afghan targets…). What is an Arnie to do?
Besides take the law into his own hands! He scams his way into the terrorist's
country when his government fails to act and his difficult task to meet out his
own justice begins. Several action sequences do little to rewrite the books while
one particular escape sequence has our hero struggling in a river and down a waterfall
- the blue (or green) screen so damn obvious and the digital Arnold going over
the drop just too apparent. What ever happened to daring stuntmen? How much longer
do we have to wait for the 3rd Terminator
flick? Hope it's soon so we don't have to be subjected to these action-by-numbers
"blockbusters". Yet, you gotta love Arnie and missing one of his movies, no matter
how crap, tends to leave a gap in the movie year.2 / B - PB

COMMONWEALTH
With Carmen Maura, Uduardo Antuna, Jesus Bonilla Directed by Alex de
la Iglesia Spanish films have a tendency to be quite zany. Wonderful! This
one almost goes to the extreme. Even from the superb title sequence combining
old style Hitchcock colour panels, silhouettes & graphics to CGI FX, you know
you're in for a great ride. An unemployed middle aged couple are having a hard
time. The husband has to bounce at a club and hates it. The wife gets a temp job
at an estate agents and views an amazing fully furnished flat in a very run down
apartment building with suspiciously weird tenants. The woman decides to camp
out in this cool flat and then the neighbours believe they'd moved in. But, when
cockroaches rain down form the ceiling onto the waterbed, things spiral downwards.
The old man upstairs had died and the whole block wants his money. Our heroin
finds it, but getting out of the block is another story as the delicious, weird,
unsavoury and hilarious characters keep her there. Strange, gory and very funny
scenes result as the whole thing evolves, floating through Hitchcock & Argento
style scenes reminiscent from Rear Window to Vertigo. Even Star
Wars gets thrown in, but not as you'd expect. Commonwealth is also
reminiscent of the French classic Delicatessen in some ways, mainly because
of the creepy building setting and its occupants ruled by one thing. Here greed
gets so out of hand that it results in several deaths. One can imagine this to
get an American remake, but meanwhile you'll have to read the subtitles. 5 / A - PB THE
COMPANY With Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco, Barbara E. Robertson,
William Dick, Susie Cusack Directed by Robert Altman Neve Campbell has
been stereotyped as Sydney in the Scream
trilogy - perhaps a label not many actors would want to smudge their CV with.
With this Altman directed piece, she co-executive produced and co-wrote the original
story, and doing a lot of the dancing, returning to a vocation she obviously got
sidetracked from. What makes this a great film is the fact that the story is a
matter-of-fact glimpse into lives of dancers in the Joffrey Ballet Company
of Chicago. No earth shattering disasters or emotional turmoil, death or betrayal.
Just a voyeuristic eye into the artistic and human drive of dancers, friends,
lovers, administrators and several fringe players in this compelling depiction
of life in a dance company. Small daily things like visiting parents, working
night jobs and meeting new people are stacked around the rehearsals and performances
of shows, which showcases some great pieces that dance fans will absolutely love
- no pose striking Hip-Hop crap, but real choreography and professional dancing.
Even viewers who may not find themselves particularly fond of dancing will be
spellbound. The overall naturalistic feel of the film could easily have been shot
documentary-style but would've lost a glossy edge, some of the performances would
also have stood out as "acting" - especially that of McDowell, who was good as
the head of the company (nice to see him in something other than a cheap villain
in an action flop for a change). Spider-Man
buddy/adversary Franco is low key and restrained as Campbell's love interest.
Injuries, replacements and pushy parents are just a small part of the whole in
this intriguing organism scrutinized by Altman without blowing it up into an over
spectacular extravaganza, in stead scanning over the varied lives of artistically
driven performers around the company that binds them. 5 / B - PB

CONAN
THE BARBARIAN With Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman,
Mako Directed by John Milius Written by Oliver Stone and directed by
Apocalypse
Now
co-writer John Milius, this definitive sword, sorcery and fantasy action adventure
places Mr. Universe Schwarzenegger in Robert E. Howard's literary hero's fur codpiece
to slice his way through infamy. With his family wiped out by a snake fuelled
sorcerer, the young Conan is enslaved, only to grow up to be a physically powerful
warrior pushed into brutal pit battles to the death. Becoming a thief with two
sidekicks, his path again crosses with the cult leader who killed his family,
sealing his destiny. Intense and bloody battles paired with a gritty look, fused
with a slick style gave this fantasy movie a realistic feel, making it the one
every single barbarian movie ripped off since (even the sequel Conan
The Destroyer
was a lame parody of itself). One of the Arnie classics and his first big role
before he really hit the big time with The
Terminator.
Soundtrack by Basil Polidouris. The DVD contains a fun audio commentary track
with Milius and Schwarzenegger, a Making Of documentary, deleted scenes and picture
gallery. 6 / A - PB

CONFIDENCE
With Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia, Rachel Weisz, Brian Van Holt
Directed by James Foley In the tradition of the conman genre, the double
cross and off-screen pre-arrangements abound. A young group of con artists scam
the wrong guy - a wiseguy with a lot more clout, experience and muscle. They make
a deal - they'll pull a big job for him as compensation - for a cut, of course.
Their target is a big bank whose owner is not as legit as you'd expect. With an
elaborate plot to get a loan for a fake company, the trust and mistrust start
to fly in all directions. The noir flair of Foley is well on display resulting
in an enjoyable film with the twists coming and going, keeping you guessing as
the deceit unfolds. 4 / C - PB

CONTACT
With Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt,
Angela Bassett, David Morse, Jake Busey Directed by Robert Zemeckis Big
time Hollywood director Zemeckis always had a fondness for the sci-fi genre, starting
with Back
To The Future.
Here he translated Carl Sagan's novel to the screen with glossy and believable
flair. Foster plays a determined astronomer whose wildest dreams come true when
she picks up a communication from outer space. After the government wrestles its
way in and many religious come to the fore (a possible demolition of their structures?),
the code is deciphered. The message consists of plans for a transporter to the
communicators. With all the pros and cons of such an event considered in the narrative
without losing touch of human nature, a very interesting tale unfolds as a result
of humanity's various reactions to such an event, in stead of spending half the
movie on alien soil. With many viewers disappointed with the outcome, expecting
some mainstream cheesy angle, I think it was a very apt way of doing it (without
giving away too much). 5 / B - PB THE
CORE With Aaron Eckhart, Stanley Tucci, Hilary Swank, DJ Qualls Directed
by John Amiel Following almost the carbon copy route of Armageddon, this
time the crack group of experts are sent in the opposite direction, into the earth's
core to rectify a catastrophic disaster - man made methods has forced the spinning
earth core to come to a halt, deadly atmospheric consequences resulting. With
the expected quirky mix of characters, preparation sessions and actual mission,
you know what you're getting, so you don't take it all too seriously. FX are not
enough to keep some of us gripped, though. 2 / C - PB

THE
CORPSE BRIDE With voices by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson,
Christopher Lee Directed by Tim BurtonIt
has been a while since Henry Selick gave animated life to Tim Burton's Nightmare
Before Christmas.
Now Burton takes the reigns himself with this delightfully stylish stop-animated
tale of love beyond the grave. I can hear the necrophiliacs sit up at attention,
but there is nothing grissly or tacky about it - well not really. If it was a
live action movie it may have been a bit more creepy, but all the better for it
in this meticulous incarnation. The son of a fishmonger is to marry a girl he
doesn't know. She's from a well-off family whose fortunes ailed beyond repair
(unbeknownst to the community of course). Her parents despise the boy's family
and their profession, but it's for the money. He also has his doubts, not knowing
her from a bar of soap - although she's quite lovely. At the intimidating wedding
rehearsal he keeps fumbling his vows. So he takes a break and strolls into the
woods. Here he practices his vows and accidentally proposes to a dead girl who
rises form the soil to say "I do!". He is taken into the vibrant underworld where
they attempt to convince him to stick to this accidental marriage. With musical
numbers, humour, great detail and a splendid gothic look, The
Corpse Bride
is another very cool off-centre project from Hollywood's oddest mainstream director.
5 / B - PB

CORRINA,
CORRINA With Ray Liotta, Whoopie Goldberg, Tina Majorino, Larry Miller, Joan
Cusack Directed by Jessie Nelson Liotta’s daughter won’t speak after
his wife passed away. He finds a babysitter that changes all their lives. But
it's hardly a smooth ride to get to the moment of enlightenment. Laughter and
tears make a large ingredient of this kind tale.4 / C- PB

THE
COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO With Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris, Luis
Guzman, Dagmara Dominczyk Directed by Kevin Reynolds Not having learnt
his lesson, director Kevin Reynolds decided to attempt another costume action-drama
after his crap, American-accented Robin
Hood Prince Of Thieves.
With this remake of Alexandre Dumas' Count
Of Monte Cristo, however,
he seems to have redeemed himself. Not having read the classic tale (only seeing
a version when I was about 8 with Richard Chamberlain) I cannot make any allegations
of omissions or additions. In what seems fairly accurate, we're taken through
the 3-part life of a sailor turned captain, then prisoner, then Count. When his
so-called best friend plays a hand in having him falsely accused of treason and
thrown into a dismal island prison, he also steals his fiance. This back stabbing
buddy is aptly portrayed by Guy Pearce, complete with big hair, large teeth &
little butt. In prison he plots his vengeance and meets up with an old man whose
miscalculated escape route exited into his cell. Over years of helping the old
man to dig, he unwittingly lands another opportunity to escape even sooner to
exact his vengeance. Besides teaching him to read, write and fight - equipping
him even better to follow through on his retribution with meticulous accuracy,
the old man not only becomes his friend, but also his means of remaining sane
and steadfast in his plot. Stretching over more than 15 years, this well paced
& executed motion picture is a welcome return to the period adventure genre and
is craftily compacted to avoid it feeling like a mini-series. 4 / C
- PB

CRADLE
OF FEAR With Dani Filth, Eileen Daly, Emily Bouffante, Stuart Laing, David
McEwen, Louie Brownsell Directed by Alex Chandon Shot on video, this
entertaining gory UK made shocker splices several chapters of death and destruction
together around the incarcerated evil madman Kemper. Via his servant The Man
(played by Cradle
Of Filth
vocalist Dani Filth), he exacts his revenge on the world outside as the cop who
put him away gets closer to the truth. Some special FX are quite cool while other
digital bits seem a bit out of place. Each chapter combining to feature length
can be a standalone short. Features music by Cradle
Of Filth,
Rugged
Vinyl,
The
Dark Poets
and Slacker.
This is the 2-hour gorefest version and includes a short behind the scenes
look. 4 / B - PB

CRADLE
WILL ROCK With Hank Azaria, John Cusack, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon,
Cary Elwes, Joan Cusack, John Tuturro, Emily Watson, Bill Murray, Angus McFadyan,
Philip Baker Hall, Ruben Blades, Cherry Jones Directed by Tim Robbins
Highly textured, layered and ambitious comedy/social comment by the talented Robbins.
Set during the depression era in America, he weaves several issues, actual events
and figures of the time into the main driving force being the Federal Theatre
Project. Some of the issues are poverty, socialism & communism, paranoia, union
regulations, patriotism, artistic integrity, -conscience and - and naïve eyes
in view of it all. Some of the figures include Orson Welles & John Houseman, Norman
Rockefeller & Margherita Sarfatti. The Federal Theatre Project was established
to give the population affordable entertainment in those hard times. But the politics
involved made this hard like it did with Welles and Houseman’s staging of Mark
Blitztein’s controversial musical Cradle Will Rock. 4 / C- PB

THE
CRANBERRIES - StarsI always found this Irish group an acquired pop
taste - mainly because of the distinct vocal sound of leading lady Dolores, those
throaty yodel motifs either one you can tolerate, or which grates at the bottom
of your skull when they materialize. On this DVD / 2 CD collection you get a whopping
32 tracks and 17 videos. Linger and Zombie are obviously two of
the first additions on the CDs, not to forget Analyze and Salvation.
Others chosen are that of Free To Decide, Them, Such A Shame, Baby Blues, I
Don't Need, Animal Instinct, You & Me, Ode To My Family, Ridiculous Thoughts,
Promises and Stars. The DVD includes clips to Linger, Zombie, Ode
To My Family, I Can't Be With You, Ridiculous Thoughts, Salvation, Free To Decide,
Promises, Animal Instinct, Just My Imagination, Analyze and more. Extra
features like additional live performance clips as well as alternate videos are
great if you're a fan, but no big deal if you're not. 3 / B - PB

CRASH
With James Spader, Deborah Unger, Elias Koteas, Holly Hunter, Rosanna Arquette
Directed by David Cronenberg Causing a huge uproar with this sexually
perverse but intensely spellbinding picture, most people missed the point. Some
people just can’t seem to accept the fact that some people are sexually aroused
by the strangest of inanimate objects. In this case it is the motor vehicle and
especially the orgasmic arousal of an auto accident. We’re all exhilarated when
driving past a car wreck or get adrenaline rushes when witnessing a smash at a
car race (in fact that’s the sole reason many of us watch it). Spader and Unger
is the sexually adventurous couple who cross paths with Koteas, awakening them
to an auto erotic fetishism they never knew was possible. Dark, sensual and deliciously
perverse, this could shock more than just a few viewers - more adventurous ones
and those who know Cronenberg well will feel it’s a masterpiece. Unger is the
hottest actress since Patricia Arquette. A daring film with an amazing cast and
deliciously perverse subject matter. 6 / A - PP…the 2nd
opinion…CRASH
With James Spader, Deborah Kara Unger, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Rosanna
Arquette Directed by David Cronenberg Having proven that he can turn
apparent unfilmable books into cinematic brilliance (as with Naked Lunch),
Cronenberg tackled the auto-erotic world of J.G. Ballard's Crash
where a cluster of outsiders sexually obsessed with auto accidents and its effect,
intersect to charge off on a collision course of S&M fuelled arousal via twisted
metal and booming engines. This interesting fetishistic trip of sexual exploration
has a couple at its core whose open relationship and sexual exploits fuel their
desire. After a serious car crash a dominating figure enters the fray and with
his cohorts drag them into a seedy, lustful world of automotive arousal. A crazy
notion, but so well handled with some smouldering scenes (especially involving
the uber-hot Unger). As usual, prudes were up in arms over this titillating, dark
film on its release. 6 / A - PB

CRASH
IMPACT Volumes 1, 2 and 3 This series treads the same ground as the above
mentioned and covers everything on wheels losing its traction, going belly-up,
rolling, spinning, twirling, exploding or disintegrating. Man and machine coming
to a violent halt. Lovely. The soundtrack was executed by the liks of earky Kiss
producer, Bob Kulick. 4 / B- PB

THE
CRIMSON RIVERS (Les Rivières Pourpres) With
Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Nadia Fares Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
Man, this is like a totally different movie experience on DVD than video! For
one, it isn't dubbed - even the best translated and read overdubbed soundtrack
remains flawed - and this one's English version was far from superior. The actors'
expression and tone in their mother tongue is far more convincing in the actual
moment. Without their real voices, their performances can fall flat, and the actors
in this piece, especially Cassel (Dobermann) and
Reno (Big Blue) outdo themselves. If you're a slow reader and think you
may have missed something - hey, it's DVD, rewind or watch it again! This special
2 disc edition contains the film - dealing with a serial killer investigator and
tough cop whose seemingly separate investigations lead to a gruesome and awesome
discovery in a snowy mountain village dominated by a university, its professors
and students priding themselves in its tradition and excellence. The clues, grisly
discoveries and leads all take you on an amazing investigative journey, puzzling
together a crazy scenario. The documentary on the second disc with contributions
from cast and crew, plus a host of featurettes ranging from special FX to storyboarding
pulls you even deeper into the tale, exposing things you may have missed, enlightening
and expanding the film's scope where you would've otherwise missed it. A multi-angle
featurette places you in charge of the shot selection. The piece on the making
of the opening absolutely realistic first corpse is absolutely jaw-dropping. Cast
& crew filmographies, the marketing campaign and trailers can also be accessed.
There is a director and cast commentary track (subtitled for us French illiterates)
highlighting many interesting facts, while the soundtrack can also be isolated
with commentary by the composer of the amazing score. Even the inlay contains
a printed interview with director Kassovitz. After you absorbed all of the
DVD features you'll feel that there's a far better understanding of the entire
process and passion behind the project with all of its hitches, pros, cons and
various takes on the material by the individuals involved - something which would've
been lost had you only experienced the dubbed video version which is anyway cropped
to pan & scan instead of the originally intended sumptuous widescreen format always
neglected on the video releases. If you have to, you can pick an English soundtrack,
or Spanish if you so choose, while there are about two dozen different languages
to pick from if you prefer the original soundtrack with subtitles. 4 /
B - PB

CROCODILE
DUNDEE IN LOS ANGELES With Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski Directed by Simon
Wincer It would’ve been foolish for Hogan not to cash in on the Aussie hype
(what with the Olympics & all). Returning as the loveable, witty & bushwise croc
hunter, Hogan & his gal (Kozlowski from the previous 2 Dundee flicks) has a 10
year old son. She gets a job offer at a newspaper in LA and they move there temporarily.
The “fish out of water” premise still gets milked dry as Dundee fits in well,
but with so many misunderstandings it isn’t funny - no, really, it isn’t. Some
lame gaga, jokes & jabs at the film industry make up most of the funnies. A low
budget film company was under investigation by the the previous newspaper editor
(who came to a sticky end). With her scruffy boyfriend’s help, the company’s underhanded
ploty gets uncovered. Animal fans will enjoy their cute antics, including pitbull
Mike Tyson in a cameo, while our lead beast, Hogan, is actually looking alright
for his age - pretty fit, but leathery. Kozlowski looks like a heavier set cross
between Sharon Stone and Deborah Unger. The original, real
life Crocodile Dundee actually died a year or two back in a shoot-out with Australian
cops! 3 / C - PBCRONOS
With Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Tamara Shanath, Claudio Brook Directed
by Guillermo Del Toro Jesus is an elderly antique dealer. In an old sculpture
he discovers a clockwork device constructed by a 16th Century alchemist seeking
eternal life. The ailing Dieter has been seeking this instrument with a vengeance,
and orders his nephew Angel to find it at any cost. Jesus is drawn to this golden
device (which houses a bug-like scarab creature). It is wound like a clock, then
attaches itself to your hand, pierces the skin, drinks and filters your blood.
This has a youthful effect on the participant, but obviously comes at a blood-lusting
price that can ruin the lives of both Jesus and his granddaughter. Angel is adamant
to get this ornate trinket and will stop at nothing, not even killing. Perlman
and Luppi are great. Try to see the Spanish version, not the English dub. Winning
several awards, this amazing take on the vampire tale was del Torro's debut, and
what an amazing one at that. 6 / B - PB

CROUCHING
TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON With Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen
Directed by Ang Lee Finally two Hong Kong stars get artistic recognition.
John Woo favourite Chow Yun-Fat plays a Chinese warrior whom lays down his sword
and life of battle by presenting it to his master as a gift. This extremely powerful
sword disappears and the momentum starts to roll. Old rivalries come to the surface
as the mission to thwart the cunning thief escalates into awe-inspiring scenes
of magical chases along moonlit rooftops. This classic tale gets adapted in a
mystical, highly artistic fashion transcending naturalism. With beautiful music
by Tan Dun (featuring cello by Yo-Yo Ma), fabulous costumes and gravity-defying
choreography (by Yuen Wo Ping)all enhancing the amazing story, this film is an
all out arthouse smash as well as Kung-Fu masterpiece. The original Mandarin with
English subtitles is the preferred choice, but for those who don't mind dubbing
will be satisfied (don't worry, this isn't as bad as the Kung-Fu cheapies). DVD
extra features include photo galleries, featurettes, documentaries and a director
& producer commentary track. Click here for a review of the Crouching
Tiger Hidden Dragon soundtrack5 / A - PB

CRUEL
INTENTIONS With Sarah Michele Geller, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon
Directed by Roger Kumble A step brother and sister, nasty little rich kids,
make a wager. He has to seduce a specific, innocent girl. If he does he can have
his step sister, any whichever way he pleases, and if he loses, she gets his classic
convertible. An interesting look at sexual corruption in the young, rich & beautiful,
based on the classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos. 3
/ B - PB

CRY-BABY
With Johnny Depp, Amy Locane, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Iggy Pop, Troy Donahue,
Joey Heatherton Directed by John Waters Drapes and Squares are locking
horns. Even more so when the leader of the hip leather jacket wearing clan falls
for the one of the prominent square girls. Amazing rock n’ roll musical loaded
with tasty clichés, cool song & dance routines and a cute love story to boot.
Marvellous cameo turns by Joe Dallesandro, Willem Dafoe and Patty Hearst. At first
glance it seems dumb, but it’s wonderful. 5 / A - PB

CRYING
FREEMAN With Mark Dacascos, Julie Condra Directed by Christophe Gans
An exciting, hard-hitting actioner bringing life to a comic strip hero who
is doomed to be an assassin against his will (shedding a tear each time he has
to take a life).4 / B- PB

CUJO
With Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh-Kelly, Christopher Stone
Directed by Lewis Teague Stephen King's book of a rabid St. Bernard focuses
the terror in one location after some exposition and character building. A woman
(whose husband is having an affair) heads out to a smallholding with her son,
where a mechanic has to look at their car. The place is deserted and the family
dog has been bitten by a rabid animal. His deterioration and mental anguish is
painful to behold, especially for animal lovers. Trapped in their car the dog
terrorizes the woman and child as a heat wave adds further torture. A tense survival
thriller and realistic horror scenario, especially effective if you have a fear
of dogs, or have paranoia of your offspring being harmed. 4 / B -
PB

CULTURE
CLUB - Greatest Hits In the late '70s / early '80s many musical styles
and various unique fashion senses of bands grew with their sound (or even before
they decided to start playing), like the Sex
Pistols, Adam
& The Ants,
Dead Or Alive
and of course Culture
Club. While
some of the George O'Dowd (aka Boy George) female angle was often embarrassingly
over the top (sometimes looking like an Evita Bezuidenhoudt faux pas), this was
an instantly recognizable trademark of the group, him pulling it off best (when
other members went for the elaborate look it was sometimes never less than embarrassing).
The feminine pop flavour of these four boys had these strange Jamaican / reggae
/ dub / SKA passages which was hardly UB40
or Madness
UK style pop influenced by bands from that region. It was a whole new thing with
a very wide appeal (unless a macho fan actually found out the cute girl singer
was a bloke!). This disc is packed with all their videos, including their first
hit Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? (so brilliantly resurrected the '80s
flavoured Wedding Singer movie), Time, I'll Tumble For Ya, It's A Miracle,
The War Song, the timeless Karma Chameleon, Mistake No. 3, Love Is Love,
Move Away, God Thank You Woman, the moving Victims, Your Kisses Are Charity
and Cold Shoulder. The videos are total '80s, some hilariously crap, others
opulently over the top and colourful. The disc also includes the full 13 song
live show A Kiss Across The Ocean, recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in
December '83 (very close to the time the demonic Venom's
show was shot there - the contrast does not get any deeper than that!). The sight
of thousands of girls dressed up as George is both amazing and ludicrous at the
same time. Bonus footage includes a VH1 Greatest Moments 'Then & Now' interview
taken around their 1998 reunion tour, plus a PC DVD-Rom segment with discography,
weblinks, screensaver and wallpapers. Sentimental fans might be shocked by a recording
outtake used as audio on the menu with George using his best sailor language!
3 / B - PB THE
CURE - Greatest Hits With eccentric frontman
Robert
Smith
leading the way, these Alternative stalwarts have recorded some truly amazing
songs and found an audience amoung Indie as well as Goth fans since 1979(!). Their
strange melange of dementia, beauty and tackiness amid an alternative rock core
is further expanded by their unique character, the videos accompanying the songs
also reflecting a distinct quality true to them. This is mainly due to the fact
that Tim
Pope directed
most of them. The predominantly distinct low budget looks glazing all the videos
is enhanced by the bleak look and harsh, flat lighting with a spaced out angst
inherent in the themes, even in their lighter, more up beat numbers. Whether it's
songs from their fresh faced youth to their current puffy state, the videos include
a bunch of unforgettables like the classic Boys Don't Cry, the classic
Alternative sound of A Forest, the cheezy Let's Go To Bed, silly
Love Cats, the creepy Lullaby, the theatric Friday I'm In Love,
the moving Close To You or the loony costumed Why Can't I Be You?
Songs like The Walk, Lovesong, Never Enough, Inbetween Days, Wrong Number
and Cut Here add up to the 18 videos on this DVD. Bonus features include
weblinks with hidden songs and an unplugged session of 6 tunes incl. versions
of A Forest, Lullaby & Just Say Yes, also serving as a timeline
to see how Smith
has aged - his voice and their abilities on the other hand still firmly in tact.
Still relevant living legends, The
Cure continue
to play live (mid-2002) and don't be surprised if they still release many more
albums in the future. 5 / A - PB CURSED
With Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson, Jesse Eisenberg, Shannon Elizabeth,
Mya Directed by Wes Craven Written (and re-written) by Kevin Williamson,
the producers of this disappointment thought the pairing of the scribe with Craven
(as in the case of the cheesy but successful Scream
series) would pay off in spades. Instead of breathing new life into the werewolf
genre, this snoozer deals a bit of a blow by making it seem like a bigger budgeted,
more drawn out episode of Buffy
(also starring one of the Dawson's
Creek
clan). A brother and sister get nicked by a beast and slowly become affected by
a werewolf-like affliction, affecting their already not-so-perfect worlds. American
Werewolf In London
beast creator Rick Baker is credited for designing the wolfman/woman look, but
with the postponed production and re-shooting he left the project. On top of this
the overused digitally created imagery not only distances the viewer from the
story and action, but is absolutely unconvincing. Those who grew up with CGI will
probably feel differently to us old-school FX purists, but Baker's physical transformation
FX in American
Werewolf
is still incredible and far more believable than the new techniques. Ricci is
cute, but it is not enough. As referred to earlier, if this was a TV episode it
would be far more enjoyable. Complete with cheap scares, this is not what we expected
from the man who gave us Hills
Have Eyes
and Nightmare
On Elm Street,
but is still a damn site more watchable than yet another lame assed comedy with
cheap laughs (although some really crappy humour gets injected by Craven writing
colleague Williamson). 2 / C - PB

CYBORG
RAGE With - doesn’t matter Directed by - who cares? Poopers come
in all shapes & sizes, but when it's a post-Terminator low budget rip, it
floats way above the rest.1 / C- PB